Trimming mechanism of typographical line casting machines



Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRIMMING MECHANISM OF TYPOGRAPH- ICAL LINE CASTING MACHINES Application May 25, 1932, Serial No. 613,402, and in Germany November 26, 1931 11 Claims.

In matrix composing and line casting machines it has already been proposed to make the trimming knives between which the cast slugs pass.

and by which said slugs are brought to exact body size, adjustable so as to adapt them to trim to the required body sizes. In the usual construction of such machines, it is only the mould cap which is altered, for changing from one body sizeto another,- and consequently it is necessary for only one of the two trimming knives viz:- the right-hand knife, to be capable of adjustment. Machines, however, have already been proposed in which the characters of the respective bodies areadjusted as to their base alignment, so that when changing from one body size to another, both the top and the bottom limiting planes or faces of the slugs are altered. In such cases it is necessary for both the right-hand and lefthand trimming knives to be adjusted, and it has already been proposed to provide adjusting means by which both trimming knives can be simultaneously adjusted by a common handle. These means were also capable of being operated so that by making fast one of the trimming knives the other one alone was movedwhen the adjusting handle was actuated. The disadvantages of the known arrangements of this kind is their extreme intricacy for the purpose of making adjustments. It was necessary, every time a change was made, .30 to move the trimming knives first closer together and interpose a stop in the path of the knives, and then to move the knives back against the stop and thereupon lock them in the adjusted position.

The present invention deals with an arrangement serving all the purposes above referred to, and in which, by simply swinging a hand lever, the device can be used alternatively for the setting of one or both of the trimming knives. Further, the adjusting mechanism is such that an adjustment of independent stops is no longer required, since the stops according to the invention, are directlyconnected with the adjusting means.

The drawing illustrates one preferred constructional form of the invention and in the saiddraw- 1ng:--' l Figure. .1 is a front elevation of the knife-adjusting mechanism;

Figure 2 is a rear view of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

.Figure 4 is part of Figure 3, but with some of the organs in a changed position;

- Figure 5 is an elevation with part shown in section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, andwith the left-hand trimming knife represented as offset therefrom, and

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the toothed gearing for effecting the adjustment. 7

In the drawing 6 is part of the so-called mould 0 Wheel in which is carried the mould 7 (Figure 3). The slug cast in the mould is ejected from the latter by an ejector blade 8 and is guided between the trimming knives 9 and 10, which are the left-hand and right-hand knives respectively. 5 The exact position of the mould relatively to the knife block at the ejecting position, is assured by the engagement of a dowel pin 12 provided on the vise frame 11, with a socket 13 on the mould or mould wheel. The left-hand trimming knife 9, 7 as shown more particularly in Figure 2, is adjustably connected to a yoke or bail 15 through two parallel rods 14, the said bail being connected to, or integral with, a slide 16. The slide 16 is secured to a sliding plate or carriage 17 (Figures 7 3 and 4) carrying an abutment 18 whose inwardly projecting end bears against a faceted cam disc 19. This cam disc whose shape is apparent from Figure 6, is fast on a shaft 20 which, on its end projecting from the knife block, carries a pointer a 21 which travels over an index plate or dial 22 (Figures 1, 3 and 4). v v

The second or right-hand trimming knife 10 is set by means of screws, and is fast to a block 23 which is rigidly connected to a slide 24 alignedly y'- guided relatively to the slide 17. Between the two slides 17 and 24 are interposed compression springs 25 which tend to move the two slides apart and thereby bring'the trimming knives closer together. the slides 17, 24 is arrested by the abutment 18 on the carriage 17 bearing against the particular facet of the cam 19 which at the time is located in operative position, whilst a stop 26 fast to the slide 24, at the same time bears against a faceted cam disc 27 which is fast upon a shaft 28, which latter, on its forwardly projecting end, carries a pointer 29 which travels over an index plate or dial 30.

Upon the shaft 20 is provided a sleeve 31 which is connected to the shaft 20 by means of a feather and groove, so that it is capable of moving axially upon the shaft, but not rotatably independent- 1y thereof. The sleeve 31 at one end is formed asa toothed wheel 32. In the position shown in- Figure 3, the toothed wheel 32 through an intermediate gear 33, as seen best in Figure 6, meshes with a toothed wheel 34 fast upon the shaft 28. Upon the shaft 28.is slidably mounted asleeve 35 which, on its outer periphery, is pro- This separating movement of 90- vided with annular gear-like ribs and grooves with which engages a toothed wheel 36 rotatable within the knife block. The shaft of the toothed wheel 36 (Figures 1 and 5) is extended upwardly and carries at the top, a hand lever 37. The shaft 33 of the intermediate wheel 33 is also extended and has fast thereon a crank handle or lever 38 on the outside of the knife block (s'e'e particularly Figure 5).

With the toothed wheel 36 also engages a rack bar 39 which, for this purpose, is flattened on one side to form a toothed rack. This rack bar is provided with a gap or recess with which engages the flange or rim of the toothed wheel 32. The sleeve 35 has a rearward extension 40 whose periphery is shaped as a faceted cam disc, the form or" which is shown in Figure 6. The stop 26 on the slide 24 is offset to form a shoulder or abutment. The inner portion which bears against the slide 24, is adapted to engage the cam disc 27, while the inwardly-presented shoulder is adapted to bear against the cam disc 40 when the sleeve 35 (which though slidable upon the shaft 28 is not rotatable thereon) is moved into the position illustrated in Figure 4.

The mode of operation of the before described apparatus is as follows:-

In the position illustrated in Figure 3, the toothed wheels 32 and 34 are mutually in mesh through the intermediate wheel 33. Consequently, when the shaft 33 is turned by the handle 38, both the wheels 32, 34 and the respective shafts 20, 28 and cam discs 19, 27 will also be caused to rotate in corresponding direction. The cam discs 19, 27 comprise separate aligned facets located at varying radial distances from the respective pivotal axes. These distances are so determined that when the stops 18, 26 rest on the particular facets thus brought into the selected positions, both the slides 17 and 24 are at such distance apart, that the resulting adjustment of the trimming knives 9 and 19 will correspond with the body thicknesses indicated by the pointer 21 on the dial 22. During such an adjustment of both trimming knives, the reading of the pointer 29 on the index plate 30 has no significance and may be disregarded. The just described adjustment is effected when the so-called base alignment calls for both trimming knives to be moved simultaneously. The capacity for adjustment upon the base alignment is limited to bodies of from 6'to 14 point such as is usually provided forby the matrices and moulds of standard machines; consequently the index plate 22 ranges only up to 14 point. The cam discs 19 and 2'7, thus have a corresponding number of-facets that is to say, 8 if only settings at intervals of one point are required.

If matrices are used in which the characters are stamped all upon a common top or high alignment and for which, as heretofore proposed, only one trimming knife need be adjusted; the hand lever 37 is then turned. The resultant rotation of the toothed wheel 36 moves the sleeve 35 and the rack bar- 39 out of the respective positions in which they are shown in Figure 3 into the positions in which they are shown in Figure 4. It will be seen that the toothed wheel 32 is thus brought out of engagement with the intermediate toothed wheel 33, so that when the latter wheel is turned, as it may be by the crank handle 38, the toothed wheel 32 remains stationary and the toothed wheel 34 only will be rotated. Simultaneously, the sleeve 35 is so moved that-the cam disc 40 thereon is brought into aligning engagement with the offset shoulder of the stop 26 so that, when the shaft 28 is rotated, the cam disc 40 will act upon the stop 26 and cause the slide 24 with the trimming knife 10 to be correspondingly moved. The pointer 29 will then, by its further travel, indicate the body adjustment, upon the dial 30. As a much larger number of adjustments are here called for, (in the constructional example given, 15 different settings are possible) the cam disc 40 must consequently also present a corresponding number of facets, viz:-15.

Having described my invention, I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:- V

1. In slug-trimming mechanism for typographical line casting machnes the combination with two knives and two slides carrying them with a capacity for said knives to be moved farther from, and nearer to, each other in parallel relationship, of means constantly tending to move at least one of the knives towards the other, and earns opposing said means and capable of' adjustment to move the knife or knives from any set position directly to any otherset position.

2. In slug-trimming mechanism for typographical line casting machines the combinaton with two knives and two slides carrying them with a capacity for said knives to be moved farther from, and nearer to, each other in parallel relationship, of springs constantly tending -to move the knives towards each other, abutments on the slides, cams in the paths of theabutments, and means manually operable to adjust one or both of the cams relatively 'to theabutmentsto move the knives from any set positiondirectly to any other set position.

3. In slug-trimming mechanism for typographical line casting machines the combination with two knives and two slides carrying them with a capacity for said knivesto be moved farther from, and nearer to, each other in parallel relationship, of springs constantly tending to move the knives towards each other, abutments on the slides, cams in the paths of the abutments, and means manually operable to adjust one or both of the camsrelatively to the abutmentsto vary the distance between theknives, said means comprising two shaftseach-carrying one of the cams, and toothed gearingoperatively connecting these shafts, one wheel of the gearing being manually rotatableand adapte'd'to turn one 'or both of the shafts. i e

4. In a slug-trimming mechanism for --typographical line casting machines theecombinati'on with two knivesand two slides carrying them with a capacity for said knives to be moved farther from, and nearer to, each other inparallelrelationship, of springs constantly tendingto move the knives towards each other,abutments'on'z'the slides, cams in the paths of the abutments'and means manually operable to'adjustone-orboth of the cams relatively-to theabutments-to ,vary thedistance between the knives,saidmeans:comprising two parallel shafts each carrying .one of the cams, a toothed wheel fast to one of the shafts, a toothed wheel spline'd to the othershaft and movable axially into and out of operative connection with the other wheel, andmanual devices adapted to move the splined wheelto'make and break such operative connection.

5. In slug-trimming mechanism for typographical line casting machines the -corr 'ibimltion with two-knives and two slides carrying them with a capacity for said knives to be moved farrib ther from, and nearer to, each other in parallel relationship, springs constantly tending to decrease the distance between the knives, an abutment on the slide of the left-hand knife, an offset abutment in the slide of the right-hand knife, two cams permanently in the paths of the abutments, two parallel shafts each carrying one of the cams, a third cam in splined connection with the shaft appertaining to the right-hand knife and insertable into and withdrawable from the path of the offset portion of the respective abutment, a toothed wheel fast to the last-named shaft, a toothed wheel splined to the other shaft and movable axially into and out of operative connection with the other wheel, and manual devices adapted to simultaneously move the splined wheel to break such operative connection, and the splined cam into the path of the offset abutment portion.

6. In slug-trimming mechanism for typographical line casting machines the combination with two knives and two slides carrying them with a capacity for said knives to be moved farther from, and nearer to, each other in parallel relationship, springs constantly tending to decrease the distance between the knives, an abutment on the slide of the left-hand knife, an oilset abutment in the slide of the right-hand knife, two cams permanently in the paths of the abutments, two parallel shafts each carrying one of the cams, a third cam in splined connection with the shaft appertaining to the right-hand knife and insertable into and withdrawable from the path of the offset portion of the respective abutment, a toothed wheel fast to the last-named shaft, a toothed wheel splined to the other shaft and movable axially into and out of operative connection with the other wheel, a shaft in perpendicular relation to the parallel shafts, and adapted to be rocked manually about its axis, a toothed wheel on this shaft in geared relation with the splined cam and a rack bar meshing with said toothed wheel and engaging the splined wheel, to move this splined wheel out of operative position at the same time as the splined cam into operative position, and vice versa.

7. In slug-trimming mechanism for typographical line casting machines the combination with two knives and two slides carrying them with a capacity for said knives to be moved farther from, and nearer to, each other in parallel relationship, of springs constantly tending to decrease the distance between the knives, abutments on the slides, cams in the paths of the abutments, two parallel shafts each carrying one of the cams, toothed gearing operatively connecting these shafts, one wheel of the gearing being manually rotatable and adapted to turn one or both of the shafts, a pointer fast to each of the parallel shafts, and stationary dials contiguous to which the pointers are moved by said shafts.

8. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by the cams being formed with facets one for each of the definite set positions of the knives moved by said cams.

9. In slug-trimming mechanism for typographical line casting machines, the combination with two knives and two slides carrying them with a capacity for said knives to be moved farther from, and nearer to, each other in parallel relationship, of means constantly tending to move at least one of the knives towards the other, and means opposing and capable of being actuated to overcome the action of said first mentioned means to move at least one of the knives from any set position directly to any other set position.

10. In slug-trimming mechanism for typographical line casting machines, the combination with two knives and two slides carrying them with a capacity for said knives to be moved farther from, and nearer to, each other in parallel relationship, of means constantly tending to move the knives towards one another, and means opposing and capable of being actuated to overcome the action of said first mentioned means to move both of the knives from any set position directly to any other set position.

11. In slug-trimming mechanism for typographical line casting machines, the combination with two knives and two slides carrying them with a capacity for said knives to be moved farther from, and nearer to, each other in parallel relationship, of means constantly tending to move the knives towards one another, means opposing and capable of being actuated to overcome the action of said first mentioned means to move both of the knives from any set position directly to any other set position, and a single manual control for actuating said second mentioned means.

CHRISTIAN AUGUSTUS ALBRECHT. 

